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EDITOR'S PICK
'Temper':
Jr. NTR saves a regular Puri Jagannadh film (IANS Telugu Movie Review)
Rating:
***
Puri Jagannadh's heroes are eccentric with shades of grey. They're highly
romantic and occasionally patriotic too. Puri likes to highlight the
eccentricity in his heroes, say a Mahesh Babu in 'Pokkiri' and 'Businessman' or
Pawan Kalyan in 'Cameraman Ganga Tho Rambabu' with a purpose, and that has
worked in his favour in all his stories, including in his latest outing 'Temper',
about a bad policeman who gets transformed over an incident.
NTR plays Daya, an orphan, who grows up to become a police officer because he
believes it's the only legitimate job in which he can make as much money as he
wants and nobody will ask him questions. He considers himself an animal, which
he is, because he's heartless (he introduces himself as a man with no sympathy)
when he forces the owner of a property (worth Rs.5 crore) to sell it at a much
lower price and tells a heartbroken mother that her daughter might have eloped
when she comes to file a missing person complaint.
Daya is accompanied by an honest and self righteous police constable Murthy,
played fittingly by Posani Krishna Murali, and this character reminds us of his
inner conscience. If Daya had an inner voice, it'd be like Murthy, who wouldn't
salute him because of his bad deeds and wishes for a tsunami (a metaphor) to
come and sweep him away.
Although Puri's stories are cliched, his characters offer viewers something
different in all his films. In one of the best scenes in the film, a young Daya
is told by his caretaker that the only difference between them (small-time
crooks) and a bad policeman is the khaki. And when Daya eventually becomes a
policeman, he avoids wearing the uniform because deep down, he still respects it
but not the job so much, not the system and people who control it. The only time
he wears the khaki in the entire film is after he's transformed for good.
There are some good as well bad moments in the film. In a touching scene, when
Daya gets the old man his property back, he feels sorry because he never had
anyone in his life to show him right from wrong. He goes on to tell him that as
a growing up orphan he was always bothered about merely living than ever
concerned about how to live. These subtle touches by Puri strike the right
chords and make you root for the antihero.
NTR is at his best in 'Temper' and his performance is nothing short of
spectacular as Daya. While the transformation doesn't come as a surprise, the
variation he brings to his character through the dialogues, attitude and
mannerism, is outstanding. Prakash Raj is no longer the villain you once loved.
He's been reduced to a comic villain and he's starting to get stereotyped in
these roles. He's no longer the villain who strikes fear in the hearts of the
viewers but he's just the bad guy, who'll end up making you laugh at his
weaknesses.
Some of Puri's lines are unmatchable and give you a high when delivered by NTR.
It's his stories that don't excite much as they're mostly recycled.
'Temper' turns out to be a regular Puri Jagannadh film salvaged by NTR's
terrific performance.
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